Traditional systems and methods for making laterals in existing boreholes typically require a separate run to deliver, orient and set a whipstock so that the lateral can be drilled. If multiple laterals are contemplated in a main bore the BHA is removed and another run is needed to tag the whipstock and release its anchor so that the whipstock can be removed and another assembly of a whipstock and BHA can be run into a new location and the whipstock oriented and anchored so that the next lateral can be drilled.
Whipstocks with integrated anchors are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,448,446; 7,178,589; 6,109,347 and 6,360,821. Retrievable whipstocks allow the anchor to be released so that the whipstock can be removed after a single use. Such designs are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,335,737; 5,909,770; 5,427,179; 5,871,046; 5,398,754; 6,073,691; 5,474,126; 5,535,822; 6,076,606; 2,770,444; 5,467,819 and 5,318,132.
In some applications there is a need to drill multiple laterals at different depths and orientations with respect to a main bore in succession to control rig time and hence the cost of drilling the laterals. Existing techniques involve multiple trips to remove whipstocks and to replace another whipstock with a BHA at the new lateral location after finishing a previous lateral. The apparatus and method of the present invention saves trips and rig time in such situations. The whipstock is supported at an uphole end with a delivery string that has an open lower end. The BHA is run into the delivery string and onto the whipstock ramp for drilling the lateral. The BHA is then removed from the lateral and into the delivery string and the delivery string is then moved and oriented at another location and the BHA is advanced and rotated and moves along the whipstock face for making another lateral in the same trip. The whipstock has no need for an anchor as the string from the surface suspends the whipstock at the needed locations and allows a gyroscopic tool in the BHA to properly orient the whipstock ramp. Pads are disposed opposite the whipstock ramp to push the whipstock laterally to get the lower end of the whipstock ramp against the borehole wall. These and other features of the present invention will be more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the associated drawings while recognizing that the full scope of the invention is to be found in the appended claims.